Fluid powered horn assembly



Dec;z 4 F962" R` 1:.` BUELL, JR., ETAL 3;@65264'15 FLUID POWERED HORNASSEMBEY" Y Filed NOW. 2"., 1961 United States Patent liiice 3,50%,641Patented Dec. 4, 1962 3,066,641 FLUID POWERED HGRN ASSEMBLY Roy D.Buell, Jr., Hinsdale, and Ben B. Peterson, Worth, Ill., assignors toBuell Manufacturing Company, Lyons, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisFiled Nov. 2, 1961, Ser. No. 149,630

2 Claims. (Cl. 116-112) This invention relates to a siren horn and to amethod of operating the same. More particularly, theinvention relates tothe use of a plurality of gases of substantially different density foractuating the horn and the introduction of such gases in quicksuccession for controlling the pitch of the sound emitted by the horn.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a hornassembly including at least two separate pressurized sources of gases ofsubstantially dilerent density, whereby the pitch of the sound emittedfrom the horn can be varied merely by introducing the pressurized gasesintermittently and in. sequence into the horn to actuate the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simplilied hornassembly that is self-sufficient and the pitch of which can be varied atwill by the mere manipulation of a valve. Y

Other and'further advantages, features and objects of the presentinvention will become apparent by reference .to the`followingdsciptioriAand the appended sheet of drawings, in which a preferred embodiment ofthe invention is shown by way'of illustrative example.

On the drawing:

FIGURE l is an elevational view, partly diagrammatic, of a horn assemblyembodying the principles of my invention;

`FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional vieWof the horn assembly of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section of a modification ofthe device shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating a double-acting valvearrangement for actuation of the horn; and

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a two-way valve for use inplace of the two valves V and the T-connection of FIGURE 1 in theactuation of the horn of that gure.

As shown on the drawing:

In FIGURE l, the reference numeral indicates generally a gas-poweredhorn. The horn may be of any suitable type, but the horn hereillustrated, as more particularly shown in FIGURE 2, is of theconstruction shown and described in the Buell Patent No. 2,918,895. Thehorn 10 includes a diaphragm housing 11, carried from a supportingsurface S, and a flared horn body 12 secured at one end in said housing11 and extending therefrom. Sources of gases under pressure foractuation of the horn 10 are indicated by reference numerals 13 and 14.These comprise, respectively, a source of Freon under pressure, andusually in a liquefied condition, and a supply of air under pressure.The pressurized gas sources 13 and 14 are connected, respectively, byvalved tubes 15 and 16 through a T-connection 17 and tubing 18 to theinterior of the housing 11.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the housing 11 is a twopart structurecomprising a base portion 19 and a cover portion 20 secured together bymeans of bolts 21, or the like, with diaphragm 22 peripherally clampedbetween the parts of said housing. The diaphragm 22 may suitvides anannular chamber 25 about the sleeve 23 on one side of the diaphragm 22,while the cover 20 is formed with la shallow cylindrical recess 26 onthe other side of said diaphragm.

A rigid, shallow cup 27 is adjustably mounted within said recess 26 bymeans of a self-tapping screw 28, which not only supports the cup 27 butalso permits the selection of the amount of force by which the cup 27acts against the diaphragm 22. The screw 28 may thus be used in thetuning of the horn. A vent 29 is provided in the cup 27 and vents 30 and31 are provided in the cover 2), thereby venting the side of thediaphragm opposite that which engages the annular seat 24. Venting ofone side of the diaphragm improves the ability of the diaphragm tovibrate against the seat 24.

The base portion 19 is provided at its lower end 32 with an internallythreaded bore 33 for receiving the threaded end 34 of the tubing 18. Arestricted passage 35 leads from the upper end of the threaded bore 33through a ne passage 36 to the annular chamber 25.

Itively, and the T-fitting 17 and tubing 18 into the annular chamber 25to actuate the horn through vibration of the diaphragm 22. Due to thesubstantial difference in density between any of the Freons and air,there will be a change in pitch of the sound emitted by the horn 1t)when a change is made from one gas to the other by selective operationof the valved connections 15 and 16. In general, the higher the densityof the gas used to actuate the diaphragm 22, the lower will be thepitch, and vice-versa. Thus, by introducing first one gas and then theother, in sequence, or in quick succession, the pitch of the horn willbe changed to give a siren-like eect.

If air is used as one of the gases for actuating the horn, any other gasof substantially higher density may be used in conjunction with the air.Freon is a proprietary name for various chloro-fluoro methanes. Some ofthese are included in the following table, in which gases ofsubstantially higher density than air are listed and their densities, ascompared with air, are set forth:

Any of these denser gases, whether from a liquefied source or a sourceof gas under pressure, may be used in combination with air underpressure for the actuation of the siren horn to give the change in pitchthat is characteristic of a siren. In general, where two gases are usedfor actuating the horn, there should be a substantial difference indensity or specific gravity, under the conditions obtaining in the horn,such that if air is one of the gases, the other gas should have adensity of about 1.5, or higher, as compared with air at a density of l.

In the modilication shown in FIGURE 3, the construction of the horn 10can be as already described, but the valve connection to the horn from asource of air, indicated at 14, and a source of Freon, indicated at 13,is such that rapid manual control is facilitated. To this end, adouble-acting valve assembly, indicated generally by the referencenumber 40, is provided. Said valve assembly 40 includes a pair ofopposed plunger-type valves 41 and 42 in the air and Freon lines,respectively, elbow connections 43 and 44 from the discharge sides ofthe valves 41 and 42, and a T-connection 45 to the horn itself. A

lever 46, pivoted to the T-connection 45, as at 47, extends between theopposed valves 41 and 42 and in the plane of plungers 48 and 49operating said valves. Thus, by manipulation of the lever 46, rst one ofthe plungers and then the other may be moved to operate rst one and thenthe other of the valves 41 and 42. In this way, it is possible to changefrom air to Freon as rapidly as desired and to hold either air or -Freonas the actuating gas for any desired length of time. When the lever 46is in the normal, midway position between the opposed valves 41 and 42,as shown in FIGURE 3, no gas, of course, is being `admitted to theAhorn.

FlGURE 4 illustrates a modied form of valve, indicated generally by thereference numeral 50. The valve 5d is of the rotary, two-way type andcomprises a rotary plug 51 mounted within the generally cylindricalvalve casing 52 and provided withports or passages 53 and 54 at rightangles to each other extending transversely to the plug 51. Sources ofair and Freon are connected by tubes 55 and 56 to the valve 50 throughone side of the casing 52, while a tubing 57 leads from the other sideof the casing 52 from an enlarged portion 58 of the bore of said casing.A handle 59 serves to operate the valve plug 51 through a stem 60passing through a packing gland 61.

As is obvious in the operation of this two-Way type of valve, the valve50 can be manipulated by means of a handle 59 to establish communicationthrough the port 54 between the Freon line 56 and the discharge line 57,as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4, or the plug may be rotated toestablish communication through the port 53 between the air line 55 andthe discharge line 57.

We have thus provided a horn assembly that includes two separate sourcesof pressurized gases for introduction sequentially into a gas-powderedhorn to vary the pitch ofthe horn to a degree commensurate :with thedifference in density, or specific gravity, between the gases used. Itwill be understood, of course, that other forms of gas-powered horns maybe used and other specific forms of valved connections to the horn,without departing from the principles of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

l. A horn assembly comprising:

(a) a gas operated horn,

b) a source of air under pressure,

(c) a source under pressure of a liquefied gas, which in gaseous statehas a density substantially greater than air, and

(d) a multi-passaged valve assembly connected to said respective sourcesand to said horn and selectively operable `to admit air and.gasseparately and in immediate sequence to one another into said horn.

2. A horn assembly comprising:

(a) a gas operated horn,

(b) a source of air under pressure,

(c) a source under pressure of a gas having a density substantiallygreater than air, and

(d) a multi-passage valve assembly connected to said respective sourcesand to .said horn and selectively operable to admit air and gasseparately and in immediate sequence to one another into-said horn.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES lPATENTS 956,860Lawler May 3, 1910 2,793,651 Gomez May 28, 1957 2,840,032 Reeves June'24, 1958 2,918,895 'Buell L Dec. 29, 1959

